To Understand
by Elphaba'sGirl
Summary: Glinda burst into tears. She couldn't say why. She wept to Elphaba that she was in love with Fiyero, but the whole time she thought of Juno, who'd left her with a disgusted snarl on his face, and Galinda, who was as good as dead.


**So... Oneshot time! Yeah, I was feeling inspired. Remember back when I said I might post a story called "Dancing Between the Lines?" Well, I decided not to, but this is the oneshotified version of it.**

**in other news, I randomly wrote a oneshot about the Little Mermaid, so check that out if you're bored or something. **

**I don't own wicked... I own Juno and Linora.**

* * *

Elphaba stumbled into hers and Galinda's shared down precisely twelve minutes after eleven. It was dark, and the night air danced in through the window that Galinda had left open.

The little blonde girl was absently turning the pages of a magazine with one manicured hand, the other holding up her head. She was clad in her pale pink nightgown and bunny slippers, and bounced up when Elphaba came in the room.

The green girl sighed. "I told you you didn't have to wait up for me, Galinda."

"Elphie, I worry about you. You're off doing who-knows-what at all hours of the night, and you haven't gotten a good night's sleep since... doctor Dillamond." Galinda looked her friend over. "You need to stop this."

"You know what I'm doing, Galinda." Elphaba kicked off her heavy boots and collapsed onto her bed. "The Resistance must work by night to get the Animals out of Oz. The trains leave once dusk falls. I'm sorry if I worried you, my sweet." She lifted her glasses off her nose and set them on the nightstand.

"You can't be doing this, Elphie! If you're caught you could be killed."

"You don't understand Galinda. You'll never understand."

Galinda felt as though she'd been slapped. For the first time in six years, she missed her little high school self.

* * *

_"Who can tell me the causes of the Glikkun Civil War?" Madame Ellënra asked the class of freshmen students. Only one hand was raised, and the teacher sighed. "Someone besides Miss Glinda, please."_

_Fifteen-year-old Glinda Upland blushed prettily, but only one boy in the class looked at her with adoration. Her boyfriend was Juno Elron. They had been together for six months. Glinda thought she might love him._

_Juno raised his hand and rattled off several causes of the war. Madame beamed at him. _

_The class ended just then, and the students headed home we the knowledge that they would only trek back again the next day. Glinda was the only one who looked forward to this; the loved school, and she loved learning._

_None of them would have guessed that by the next morning, Gilikin would have passed several new laws known as Animal Banns, by order of the Wizard. _

_A week later, Glinda's best friend, Linora, who was a Cat, was arrested when a soldier heard her talking. The Animals were persecuted more harshly in Gillikin than anywhere else, for they had been the first to approve the new laws. There were several executions, and even more imprisonments. _

_Linora escaped the prison two weeks later, and sought refuge with Glinda's family. _

_She could no longer talk._

_It was horrifying for Glinda, and she cried about it for days. She went to her sister, Evangeline, for help._

_"Evan," she begged, "I just don't know what to do."_

_"Just... Rise above it." Evan said as she brushed her long, red-gold hair. She turned to her younger sister, and put her arms on Galinda's shoulders. "Pretend nothing has happened. It'll bother you less."_

_Glinda, henceforth, became _Galinda_. With a _ga_. She traded her simple clothing for the highest fashions, and took up shopping as her dominant hobby. Her grades sunk to a solid C average, and she became a very stereotypical dumb blonde._

_As more and more Animals' lives collapsed around her, she giggled and shamelessly paraded about town in bright pink sundresses and heels._

_Juno, who'd sworn to his mother, father, and three sisters that he would propose to Glinda one day, became disgusted with her behavior, and broke off their relationship. _

_Galinda laughed at him, and by the next morning had a new boyfriend. She didn't even recognize how her heart was growing colder, and how she'd stopped caring about anything, or anyone._

It was only now, with Elphie, that she was beginning to miss Glinda. Because Galinda, she saw, was only Glinda with walls around her heart.

"You're right, Elphie. I don't understand."

* * *

A week later, Elphaba stood ready, to board the train to the a Emerald City.

Fiyero ran up to them suddenly, brandishing a bouquet of poppies for Elphaba. Their conversation was easy, and Galinda could see how much her friend respected the prince. He didn't seem like the type she'd feel anything but exasperation for.

"-About the Lion Cub and everything. I think about that day a lot." Galinda snapped back to attention.

Elphaba was nodding. _You don't understand!_ Her words flooded the blonde's brain.

She flushed, and she wished Elphaba could have known Glinda. Glinda would have understood. "Me too! I think about it constantly! Poor Doctor Dillamond! It makes one want to take a stand! In fact, I've been thinking about… about… changing my name!"

Elphaba and Fiyero blinked. "Your name?" Elphaba said slowly.

Galinda's heart pounded. This was it! She could feel Glinda's heart beating rapidly. "Why yes! Since Doctor Dillamond had his own way of pronouncing my name, in solidarity and to express my…um… outrage I will henceforward no longer be known as Galinda, but as simply Glinda!"

"That's very admirable of you... Glinda," Fiyero said. He and Elphaba exchanged rushed pleasantries, and then he ran off.

Glinda burst into tears. She couldn't say why. She wept to Elphaba that she was in love with Fiyero, but the whole time she thought of Juno, who'd left her with a disgusted snarl on his face, and Galinda, who was as good as dead.


End file.
